I blog about my jewelry inspirations. Readers will find that various elements of nature are my inspirations. Of course, I include jewelry making tips. This blog also includes some of my favorite Etsy shops, bead shops and jewelry customers.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Lots of blue, green, white beads and nautical findings sent to BayMoonDesign for this blog

If you know me, you know I am all about the beach so I had to jump at the chance to participate in Lisa Lodge's Ocean Blog Hop. I got some great blue, green and white beads and nautical findings to use.

I used lots of the the
pale blue beads and a few of the metal fish beads in this memory wire
bracelet. There are 3 rows of the luscious beads that wrap around the
wrist. The pale blue beads are accentuated by silver beads. The silver
beads include 2 shells and 2 fish. The bracelet is inspired by the ocean
and its aquatic creatures.This ocean inspired bracelet is great fun for the summer. It is available for purchase HERE.

Most of the pale green beads went into my seahorse necklace. The seahorse necklace has a hand embossed on natural brass focal with blue and
green patinas applied. A sealant was then applied. The pendant is on an
natural brass chain with 4ply sage Irish waxed thread and pale green beads
woven through the chain. These materials give the green necklace a
beachy look and who doesn't love the beautiful ocean creature-the seahorse.

A few of the white beads went into this starfish bracelet

I used a few of the white beads for this starfish bracelet. I paired the white beads with the pretty ceramic by Marti's Beads and Buttons and denim blue Irish waxed linen thread. I still have lots of these white beads left.

You only get a peak at part of my last piece. I used every piece of sea glass beads from Lisa and every piece I got from Znetshows for their summer blog hop. I am one of Znetshows designers so I am involved in creation daytime and evening sets of jewelry to be showcased by Znetshows in June. Please visit my blog around June 13 to see what the whole necklace looks like. You will also get a look at the matching bracelet and earrings

Andrea
Glick-Zenith, ZenithJade CreationsPlease visit all of the participants and give them some positive feedback.I love the photo of the shell on the beach. I got this from GraphicStock.com. If you are interested in having access to great copyright free photos and graphics like this one, sign up for a free 7 day trial of GraphicStock.com and see what they have to offer. I have found some great images to punch up my blogs!

Saturday, May 24, 2014

I love Irish Waxed Linen Thread. It really appeals to my tactile sense. I jumped at the chance to create some pieces for this blog hop. I also wanted to create some summer inspired jewelry. If you know me, you know I love the beach.

My first piece is this seahorse necklace. The seahorse necklace is hand embossed on natural brass with blue and
green patinas applied. A sealant was then applied. The pendant is on an
natural brass chain with 4ply sage Irish waxed thread from White Clover Kiln and pale green beads
woven through the chain. These materials give the green necklace a
beachy look.

My second deigns is this bright orange bracelet that is perfect for the beach also. The orange glass beads remind me of sea glass. These sea glass beads are from Znetshows. I combined orange with turquoise beads and found this great 4ply turquoise Irish waxed linen thread from Ornamentalia to use. I added some orange heart dangles from JLynnJewels and beads to the clasp.

My last piece is a great pair of earrings which combines turquoise Irish Linen thread from Ornamentaliaand these great turquoise polymer clay beads from Sacaccino and a few white seed beads. They have a wonderful boho look.

I love the photo of sailboat on the beach. I got this from GraphicStock.com. If you are interested in having access to great copyright free photos and graphics like this one, sign up for a free 7 day trial of GraphicStock.com and see what they have to offer. I have found some great images to punch up my blogs!

The order began with the purchase of this white crocheted necklace from my Etsy shop by a woman who is getting married on the beach. When she got the necklace, she emailed me and told me how much she loved this necklace and how it is perfect for her beach wedding. I love to get feedback like that! I am honored that she is wearing my necklace at her wedding.

When I made the necklace, I thought the white and beige in this crocheted necklace reminded me of the white
sands of Florida beaches. I combined some beige glass pearls,
white rice pearls, sea shells, shell chips, white and clear buttons. I
think that sea shells are especially fun. I agree that this necklace is perfect for a
beach wedding.

She emailed me again and asked me to make her a pair of earrings to match. She said she wanted something about 2.5 inches in length with she shells and simple. I made her this pair of earrings.

Sea shell earrings for wedding

I had the some shells left from her necklace so I was able to get a perfect match to her necklace. I had some sterling silver chain on hand so I used that to give the earrings the length. She loved them.

It is a pleasure to make jewelry that makes people happy and becomes part of an important life event like a wedding. Don't you agree?

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

I want to give a shout out to GraphicStock.com. GraphicStock.comis a subscription-based website that provides
members with unlimited downloads of stock graphics, stock images, icons,
buttons, backgrounds, textures and more. Instead of charging per download, members can download
as much as they want for less than the price of just one graphic at
many competing sites.
They do a great job in providing high quality content.

I
welcome the ability to download pre-drawn images that I can edit and
alter to fit my needs. The variety of re-sizable vector
graphics on this site allows me to find just the right combination of
images to edit into the perfect design for me. If a were working on creating
videos, brochures, form etc., these graphics would be enable me to create professional looking materials at a low cost to me.

What I love is that everything you download is yours to keep and use forever and is royalty free.

I have used their graphics in my blogs. Graphics do a lot to make a blog interesting and draw the reader into the content.

This summer graphic can be seen in my Bay Moon Design blog that features a bracelet of mine that is inspired by the summer ocean.

On this same blog I look the owls that I downloaded from Graphic Stock on the left and created my own graphic on the right. I was able to customize the graphic specifically for this blog.

I love how these frames that I got from Graphic Stock really showcase the photos of my latest beads. I used a photo editor to add the overlays of my beads to the frames.

If you are interested in having access to great royalty free photos and graphics like this one, sign up for a free 7 day trial of GraphicStock.com and see what they have to offer. This free trial will give you the ability to get up to 140 downloads of their graphics. You can download (20/day). If you don't cancel after 7 days, it rolls into a
$49/month subscription. I have found that they are not too strict about late cancels. The company always refunds the money. Their attitude is everyone's busy. I have been busy getting some great images there for my personal and business use. I know you will find some great graphics from Graphic Stock for your personal and business use too.

Monday, May 19, 2014

Thanks to sites like Design Seeds and Pinterest there are lots of
places to find color inspiration. For the last blog hop we played with one color and now we are taking it to the next level.Humblebeads Assignment:Find a color palette to use as the inspiration for your next jewelry
design. Pick a color palette that isn't your go-to colors! Think outside
the box this week.

Find a Color Palette You Love or Challenges You-Graphic from Graphic Stock

Tips for Working with Color Palettes:I happen to love the color palettes that Brandi Hussey
creates for the Art Bead Scene challenges, like the one below. The colors in the painting Capriccio Padovano by Bernardo Bellotto, are the inspiration.

Color Palette Hussey created for May Art Bead Scene Challenge

I used predominately the light blue and the copper colors in Hussey's palette for my necklace inspired by the painting.

This unique seahorse necklace has sea shells, a handmade artisan seahorse focal by SlinginMud and a handmade copper clasp. by BayMoonDesign. It is crocheted using copper wire. The sea shells are strung onto copper wire, crocheted, and then 3 strands are handwoven together. If you would like to purchase this seahorse necklace, please click HERE.

Thank you Heather Powers for this great mojo challenge. What are your thoughts about my piece and the color palette?

Saturday, May 17, 2014

This month's Art Bead Scene Challenge is the painting Capriccio Padovano by Bernardo
Bellotto, 1721-1780. He was an Italian urban landscape painter or
vedutista, and printmaker in etching famous for his portrayals of European
cities such as Dresden, Vienna, Turin and Warsaw. Bellotto's
birth place, was an enchanting city of canals, art studios, vineyards,
wine, rich cheeses, magnificent cathedrals and a breathtaking marina.

Bernardo Bellotto's style reveals a taste for what is charming and elegant. Characteristic of Rococo art was paintings of wealthy carefree aristocrats at play in make-believe settings. The background scenery is often a serene natural setting with delicate trees and sprays of roses. Colors are a profusion of soothing, light pastels.

I took my inspiration for my seahorse necklace from the colors in the painting. I centered on the blues in the water water and sky and the tans and reddish browns of the bridge. I selected the seahorse focal and sea shells as a representation of the romantic water scene. I love the handmade ceramic focal of a seahorse by SlinginMud. I feel like I did it justice with this copper wire crocheted necklace and my handmade copper clasp. The necklace is available for purchase HERE.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

May's "We're All Ears" inspiration is the Zig Zag Nerite shell - neritina communis.This tiny sea treasure is just over a 1/2" in size. Each one is completely unique. The typical shell is black and white, but can have colors that range from cream and yellow to red and burgundy, proving to be a very variable species.

When I saw our inspiration photo, I focused on the colors of black and white. When I think of the ocean, sea glass comes to mind. These earrings combine the colors of the shell with material that is often found mixed in with shells along the shore-sea glass. I used white crystals on what looks like clear sea glass and combined those beads with black sea glass from ZnetShows. I used large sterling silver french earwires for balance in the design.

I imagine sea glass in this pile of sea shells on the beach

I love the photo of the shell on the beach. I got this from GraphicStock.com. If you are interested in having access to great copyright free photos and graphics like this one, sign up for a free 7 day trial of GraphicStock.com and see what they have to offer. I have found some great images to punch up my blogs!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Bead Table Wednesday is designed to help share what is on our table today. I am getting ready for a craft fair sponsored by Delaware by Hand on May 24, 2014, in Lewes, Delaware. Since it is in Lewes a town by the sea, I have been making a number of pairs of earrings that have a sea glass look to them.

I just finished this pair of light blue sea glass earrings. They have a real beach feel to them. I added a hint of nature by using a leaf as a dangle. This gives you an idea of one type of earrings that will be available at my table. The "sea glass" that I am using is from Znetshows. I love all of the colors and shapes that they have. It is done and moved off of my table and into my online Etsy store. Thank goodness for Heather and Bead Table Wednesday.

I love the photo of the shell on the beach. I got this from GraphicStock.com. If you are interested in having access to great copyright free photos and graphics like this one, sign up for a free 7 day trial of GraphicStock.com and see what they have to offer. I have found some great images to punch up my blogs!

Friday, May 9, 2014

My Bead Soup blog hop partner is Karla Morgan of Texas Pepper Jams is from New Braunfels, Texas. Karla sent a wonderful mix of beads--agate from Guadalajara, Mexico,
coral, chinese crystals, lava, shell, carnelian, jade, and moss jasper.
She included a vintage lucite focal that was her grandmothers, and a
copper clasp that she made. I appreciate her thoughtfulness in giving
me lucite that was her grandmother's. I knew right away that I had to make something with a bead so special. Of course, her mix would have to
include the map of Texas that she made from copper.

Vintage Lucite Focal layered on top of Karla's cut metal, some of her beads, and her copper clasp

I had some Vintaj chain and Irish Waxed Linen thread that I used to suspend the focal from and attach the beads. I used some beads that Karla sent and some I had. I happened to have some fabric from a previous blog hop with orange and gold that was perfect to weave through Vintaj chain. Of course, Karla's copper clasp was perfect for my color palette. I usually don't make jewelry with large components so this was a challenge for me. In fact, when I first saw the chain that I bought from Vintaj I thought I would never use it because it was much larger than I thought. It has turned out to be perfect for a number of pieces that are now in my online shop.

Once again, my large Vintaj chain works well with another necklace. This green necklace has the natural copper bar that Karla made and some of the blue green artisan ceramics that she sent me. I used a large, green ceramic focal that I got from Marsha Neal and some natural copper that I had to attach the focal to the bar. I created the circular, copper clasp to
mirror the circles in the focal with some copper I had on hand. I
love the boho look of this necklace.

As soon as I saw the hot pink lava beads that Karla sent I new they would be perfect for these earrings.

I still have metal and beads left for another time. I would like to thank Lori Anderson for organizing this blog hop of 500 participants. What a huge labor of love! She is also hosting the list of all of the participants on her blog .

Please visit these participants and leave kind comments on their blogs. I would appreciate comments from my readers also. As a reward I am having a Mother's Day Sale.

For those who follow my blog, I invite you to stop by Etsy store and
receive a discount of 15% on any purchase of $10 or more with the
coupon code MOM15 from now until May 11. Now is the time to make
purchases for Mother's Day. You might want to pick up some handmade
cards or jewelry for upcoming weddings, proms, and graduations. Many of
my Etsy team members have sales going on during this time period and
are offering the same discount. Visit their shops too! I complete list of the shops and the discounts is on the etteam blog.

I just received these sea glass beads from Znetshows. I am one of their designers. I am challenged with making one daytime (casual) design/set
AND one nighttime (dressy) design/set with the sea glass I received. A set can
include a necklace, a bracelet, earrings, an anklet, and/or a brooch, etc. that
all go together. The deadline is for submitting photos of the pieces is June 13.

The first task that I have to meet this deadline is to brainstorm what I am going to make with these beads. I usually put all of the like pieces together on my table as you see in the photo. I could choose any 2 colors that I wanted and I picked black and white. Znetshows also included a few blue and purple beads. We will see how all this plays out.

Day Time Design Ideas: I am thinking I will make some jewelry for a day time graduation party for my cousin. My jewelry will include:

Bracelet with Sand Dollar as focal, use blue sea glass

Necklace with Sand Dollar as focal, use blue sea glass or other blue beads in design

Necklace with sea glass and crystals-Black circular sea glass as focal
Matching Bracelet-Black circular sea glass as focal
Matching Earrings-black square sea glass with white square sea glass layered in top and round black sea glass
I will try to work the purple beads into this design.

I hope this gives you an idea of how I go about making jewelry out of a pile of beads! Of course, these creations will end up in my Bay Moon Design Etsy Store since I am using these scenarios as my mental inspiration for creation.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

So this week we are going to limit our choices to increase our creativity!Heather Powers Assignment: Make a piece of jewelry with just one color, varying to value (light & darkness), shape and texture for interest.

I found this assignment challenging because I hardly ever work with just one color. Fortunately, we were given some resources to read. I checked out a great article on Making YourMonochromatic Magnificent by color guru Margie Deebs and an article from Brandi Hussey on the Color of Metal. I used tips from both to make my bracelet. I dug around in my blue bead collection. I have a lot of this color and I don't seem to use them often. I am determine to start using them! I gathered beads that were different in shape and size, and had interesting textures. After
narrowing down my selection to a variety of blue beads, I then looked
through what silver beads I had. I love to pair blue with silver and
Hussey's article supports this metal selection.

My Inspiration for This Assignment Is the Summer
Graphic from Graphic Stock

I have a Delaware by Hand craft
fair coming up Memorial Day in Lewes, Delaware, so I wanted to make something summery. I
have been focusing on bracelets so I decided since I had a lot of blue
beads I would make a memory wire bracelet. To me summer is all about the beach and Atlantic Ocean. My silver bead collection
included some fish and sea shell charms so I decided to incorporate them
into the bracelet to build on my summer at the beach theme.

I love dangles on my bracelets so I used a matching silver fish as a dangle on one end of the memory wire bracelet and on the other I have 3 sets of blue and silver beads.This bracelet reminds me of the water off Key Largo, Florida. On my last snorkeling trip there before heading back to Delaware, the water was like a sheet of glass and I saw lots of beautiful fish.